The Curlew's Cry is the story of three decades in the life of Pamela Lacey and a Montana town. Descended from pioneers and the daughter of a rancher, Pamela lives according to her own script, and nothing seems to happen as expected. The world beats on - World War I, the influenza epidemic of 1917, the Great Depression - and local fortunes rise and fall with the price of beef. For Pamela the fight that counts is defined by a sense of independence and pervasive loneliness, by the twists and turns of love and friendship. Tragic events transpire, but by the end of The Curlew's Cry it is clear that, if Montana brings out the best in man, it is also a place where women like Pamela can achieve power and magnanimity.